Apple rumored to add remote diagnostic tool to iOS for repairs

Users who need help fixing their iPhone or iPad could soon be aided by a Web-based remote diagnostic tool that would allow an Apple Specialist to check the status of their iOS device remotely.

The company has allegedly internally announced to its employees that the new remote diagnostic tool has been completed, according toHardMac. Presumably, these features could arrive with this fall's release of iOS 5, the next major upgrade to Apple's mobile operating system.

The entirely online system will be triggered by a special URL sent via e-mail or entered manually. When a user visits the website and agrees, Mobile Safari will conduct internal checks of the system and send that data to Apple's servers.

To ensure user privacy, the only personal data that will be sent to Apple will include its unique identifier, or UDID, as well as the name of the owner, the report said.

The list of information to be shared by the diagnostic system reportedly includes:

Battery health, including current charge level, amount of time since the last charge, and minimum level to which the battery was discharged.

iOS version installed.

Whether the handset was turned off normally the last time.

The site also said it is "unaware" if Apple's new rumored diagnostic system will be able to detect whether the user has put a "jailbreak" in place on their device. Jailbreaking is a term used to describe running unauthorized code in iOS, and doing it can void Apple's warranty.

Apple's iOS 5 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is set to be released this fall. It will pack more than 200 new user features, including Notification Center, iMessage, and Newsstand.

This is not new as the remote diagnostic has been in place since IOS 4 came out. It simply sends an email link to the phone and that link then uploads a log file back to Apple servers. It works just like the article says but has been around for over a year now.

Android users with buyers remorse could soon be aided by a Web-based back door that would allow a hacker to check the status of their malware remotely..

ANOTHER reason SJ brilliance and the "closed garden" will win (has won )

this apple remote stuff is nice
BUT the 3+years i've had my 3G i haven't had one problem not fixed by deleting and reloading an app
NOTHING....NADA with the iphone or operating system, its that robust and why i am now
100% apple
free....free....free I tell you from the windows mess for 6 years now

One would assume (and hope) that it would. It wouldn't be much of a diagnostic tool if it didn't.

I would poop my pants, quite literally. I guess my touch will never leave 4.3.3 range. (My iphone and pad are not jailbroken, but I keep the touch as an awesome tinkering platform for all kings of cool stuff from cydia).

This is not new as the remote diagnostic has been in place since IOS 4 came out. It simply sends an email link to the phone and that link then uploads a log file back to Apple servers. It works just like the article says but has been around for over a year now.

Yep. Sounds just like the one that has been out for a year. A detail that is not mentioned and thus puts this in the "failed to know what you are talking about column" for me. Not to mention dropping the term specialists. If you are going to write about Apple Retail then you need to get details like only Geniuses and the specifically named 'family room specialists' do repairs on iOS devices. Helps to show that in fact you do have a clue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody

One would assume (and hope) that it would. It wouldn't be much of a diagnostic tool if it didn't.

Actually in many cases you can tell that a phone has been jailbroken without needing a tool. The cosmetic changes like a moving image home screen or the first icon on the dock being Cydia are big clues

Yep. Sounds just like the one that has been out for a year. A detail that is not mentioned and thus puts this in the "failed to know what you are talking about column" for me. Not to mention dropping the term specialists. If you are going to write about Apple Retail then you need to get details like only Geniuses and the specifically named 'family room specialists' do repairs on iOS devices. Helps to show that in fact you do have a clue.

Apple is bigger than your tiny retail store. Geni and FRSs aren't the only ones who can run diagnostics. Apple has this thing called AppleCare and they sometimes need to run a diagnostic remotely. This is what the OP was talking about.